Boat show, seminars and parties—TrawlerFest is moving is Pacific Northwest event to the heart of Seattle this year. The dates are April 23-27 at Bell Harbor Marina.

Often asked: How does one define “trawler?” With dozens of cruising powercraft available for inspection at the docks, attendees will witness firsthand how varied the answer can be. Participating vessels will include brands such as Grand Banks, Kadey-Krogen, Nordhavn, North Pacific, Nordic Tug, American Tug, Ranger Tug and Cutwater. Sam Devlin will be on hand with one of his custom creations, a Sockeye 45 fantail stern cruisers. Besides in-water exhibits, vendors will be on hand with displays for their goods and services.

More than 25 seminars including one on diesel engines with author/experimenter Nigel Calder and another on boat handling with Capt. Linda Lewis. Others include medical preparation, boat buying tips, passagemaking and destination talks on Alaska and Mexico. All our seminars share one or more of these goals: To make cruising safer, less expensive and more fun. The seminars themselves are fun because speakers are chosen for their ability to communicate effectively and with a dose of humor.

TrawlerFest has three locations, the others being in Stuart, Florida, and Baltimore. However, the Pacific Northwest is special because the region is probably the most power cruising-centric of anywhere in the U.S. or Canada. For a decade, Anacortes was venue for TrawlerFest, but, seeking to refresh the program, organizers looked at other locales, finally landing on the obvious—One of America’s great downtowns.

John Armstrong from Canadian Yachting was on the Prestige Booth at the Miami International Boat Show and discussed with Margriet Mitchell, Manager of Marketing and Nick Harvey, President of Jeanneau...

A favourite destination for many boaters and tourists alike is the lovely Mackinaw Island. Sitting in Lake Huron on the eastern end of the Straits of Mackinac in the state of Michigan, it covers almost ten kilometres, of which 80% is park land. It was a sacred place of the Anishinaabe and home of the Gitche Manitou (Great Spirit) some 700 years prior to the arrival of the first Europeans.

According to legend, the Island was created by the Great Hare, Michabou, and was the first land to appear after the recession of the Great Flood.

I think my favourite program was Bonanza. I would rush home after school, get my homework done, clean up the dishes, and then I would watch the ol’ West come alive with those three handsome, funny brothers who thrived on adventure.

At the time, I thought that the adventuresome West - and the pioneers who could handle just about anything thrown their way - was the stuff of make-believe.

We will probably look back on 2018 and 2019 as the years when power boats were reinvented by the combined forces of a booming U.S. economy and the wide-spread development and introduction of so many amazing new outboard engines. The result has been the development of many remarkable new designs!

One of the most inventive designers and builders is Jeanneau, and the NC 1095 is their new flagship outboard cruiser by Centkowski & Denert Design.

Lagoon has been building catamarans for too long to make a false move. That’s why when the management felt that their tried-and-true 450 model, long a cruising favourite and winner of transatlantic events such as the ARC, was getting near retirement age, they went back to a team that has designed many successful models for them: Nauta Design for interiors and VPLP design with Patrick le Quément for naval architecture and exteriors.

We spoke with Nauta Design’s Massimo Gino about his work with Lagoon.

“Along with the many custom superyacht projects we do, we have been collaborating with Lagoon since 2009.

Grounding is always an interesting idea when on a boat. Can a boat be ‘grounded’ when it’s in the water?

Electrical ground is a term used to describe the reference point in an electrical circuit from which voltage is measured, a common return path for electric current, or a direct physical connection to the earth.

Connection to ground is also important in order to trigger protective mechanisms in the event of failure of internal insulation, and also limits the build-up of static electricity.

Watch for a tsunami of innovative new boating products in the chandlery this year, as accessory manufacturers battle for your attention and dollars.

This past decade has been a real up-and-down ride for the companies who make boating equipment. When the recession hit in 2008/2009, new product development for most manufacturers ground to a sharp halt as they focused on more pressing issues, like simply keeping the lights on. It took a few years for the economy to stabilize and for the first handful of new items to begin slowly trickling out to market. For guys like me who make a living writing about new boating gear, those were pretty lean years, let me tell you.

You most likely operate your vessel with batteries that are rechargeable. Rechargeable batteries account for nearly half of worldwide battery sales. Within the rechargeable battery category, there are many different types of chemistries that are used. The most proven type of chemistry is the lead acid chemistry.

Wet cell or “flooded” batteries and Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) batteries are both considered lead batteries and contain an electrolyte solution which causes a chemical reaction and produces electrons. These batteries are recharged when put in contact with a reverse current. But, given the way they are designed, they each have their own pros and cons and these variations should be considered before use.

Use of this Site constitutes acceptance of our Privacy Policy (effective 1.1.2016)
The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Kerrwil